1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to furniture. More particularly, it relates to furniture items such as chairs and chaise lounges having a frame that supports a large plurality of transversely disposed straps typically formed of vinyl and an elongate, longitudinally extending strap, preferably formed of fabric, that extends substantially the entire length of the furniture.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Chairs and chaise lounges having aluminum frames or frames of other suitable materials are often made with an elongate, longitudinally-extending fabric strap supported by the frame and by a plurality of vinyl transverse straps that are also connected to the frame. Over time, the elongate strap can sag and become uncomfortable. The most common prior art solution to the sagging strap problem is to replace the old elongate strap with a new one.
The present inventor has developed a number of ways of taking up the slack as needed. However, those methods require the addition of a transversely disposed tension bar to the frame. Although the tension bar can be provided as original equipment by furniture manufacturers, and although the tension bar can be retrofit onto existing furniture, the ideal solution to the problem would require no tensioning bar.
However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art how the elongate strap could be tensioned if the tensioning bar were eliminated.